Help for the Processes program


0 Introduction

The Processes program enables you to
  1. List all the processes which are currently running on your computer.
  2. Enable you to find out, by searching the web, information about each of the running processes.
  3. Enable you to create a list of processes which can be killed when the computer starts up.
  4. Enable you to kill a specific process.
The Processes program does not remove any code from your computer.  To do that you must use the Add/Remove Software method or download CodeSuff Starter or something similar to make permanent changes to the Windows registry.

The Processes program needs the following files, the first three of which are shipped in the installation package:
For further help please contact Graham Lawrence.
 

1. Listing all the running processes

The running processes are listed in the box at the left hand side if the window.   Those for which there is no data are listed with a '?' after their name.  If you click on the 'Refresh' button the list will be rebuilt.

2. Finding information about the running processes

If you click on one of the running processes the information about the process will be displayed in the box at the bottom of the window.  You may use the Up and Down keys to move from one item to another.

To get information from the web about a particular running process:
  1. Click on the running process.
  2. Click on 'What is this?'.
To get information about all the processes which have a '?' after their name, click on 'What are these?'.  If there no processes with a '?' after their name you will not see 'What are these?'.

The web is searched for information about the process.  If the information is not found at http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/  Google will be used and you will be asked to enter a description of the process.  This is best done by copying data from the displayed web page to the clipboard and then pasting it into the input box entitled 'Add Description'.  The information obtained will be displayed in a box at the bottom of the window.   All information is saved in the Processes.Data file.

If you are not connected to the web you will not see 'What is this?' and 'What are these?'.

3.  Creating list of processes to be killed when the computer starts up

To create the list you should run Processes when there are no other active windows.

When you have decided what process can safely be killed when the computer starts up, add it to the list at the right hand side of the window by clicking on 'Add to Kill List'.  If you decide you do not need to kill it then click on 'Drop from Kill List'.

To get the listed processes killed when the computer starts up click on 'Add to Startup'.   You will be asked how long to wait before killing starts.  This will depend on how long it takes for your computer to reach a steady state after starting up. If any of the listed processes starts after Processes has tried to kill the listed processes those processes will not be killed.  You would need to run the program again and click on 'Kill Processes'.

If you find that the time you specified is not long enough or is too long, click on 'Drop from Startup' and then click on 'Add to Startup'.

The list of processes to be killed is saved in the Processes.Kill file.

To kill all the processes listed in the right hand box click on 'Kill Processes'.

4. Killing a specific process

  1. Click on a process in the left hand box or the right hand box.   The name of the process to be killed will be shown by moving the cursor  to the 'Kill Process' button.
  2. Click on 'Kill Process'.
If you need to start a process that has been killed then, provided the path is known, the process can be started if you:
  1. Click on the process in the right hand box. The path that will be used to start the process will be shown by moving the cursor  to the 'Start Process' button.
  2. Click on 'Start Process'.